Hydrosonics: Aliby

Christopher B. • September 27, 2010 • 1 Comment

Canada, specifically Toronto has been on a tear in the music industry over the last couple of years. With the emergence of mega stars Drake and Justin Bieber our northern neighbors have staked a claim on the music industry but it doesn’t stop there. The less publicized part of their success stems from the crafters of the songs the nation plays. There’s August Rigo credited with writing Justin Bieber’s “U Smile”, there’s Boi 1da producer behind Drake and Eminem’s lead singles, and there’s 40 the in house producer for Drake, the one who has had as big of a role as anyone else in cultivating his patented sound. Well allow Nodfactor to bring you the next producer from T-Dot that will be taking the industry by storm, everyone meet Aliby.

Nodfactor: First off lets introduce you to the people and let them know what you’ve worked on to date

Aliby: Well I go by Aliby, right now I’m working with Sean Garrett, Jahvon who’s signed to Beluga Heights, Belly, I did a beat and hook for Nipsey’s new album besides that I’m just shopping records and trying to make good music

Nodfactor: How did the Sean Garrett link come about?

Aliby: My manager T. Slack he lined me up with Garrett, said to send him some music and that he was lookin for bangers. He got back to me told me the tracks were cool and I made it a personal goal to build up that contact and just constantly hit him up letting him know if he needed something, whatever he needed I’d send it to him. So about after 3-4 months of building he hit me asking for tracks and I sent him a batch of beats and from there he flew me down to New York and we got in the studio and just started working.

Nodfactor: What’s the studio experience been like?

Aliby: Positive. The energy him and his team have is crazy! Like the second you play a beat Sean just goes nuts, it’s like some Jay-Z shit cause one minute he’s sitting there quietly and the next minute a beat comes on and he’s standing up singing the song, like he’s freestyling it. It really has been an insane learning experience.

Nodfactor: What’s your relationship with Jahvon?

Aliby: I started with Jahvon by doing a single for him called “Hypebeast”. It’s funny cause it broke on to radio in Toronto and we got a lot of mixshow and mixtape love, it was playing in Belgium and across Europe. I’d even walk into a clothing store in Toronto and I’d be hearing the beat for “Hypebeast” mashed up with Jackson 5.

Nodfactor: So it was really organic how it took off

Aliby: Yeah and it’s crazy cause we just put it out as kind of an internet buzz single, I mean there’s no hook, its under 3 minutes, it’s completely anti radio format, I can’t even believe it did what it did. From there he started working with Boi 1da and then he got signed to Beluga and it’s just been hands on trying to put the right records together so we can put out his mixtape “The Look Book”.

Nodfactor: Are you doing most of the production?

Aliby: Na. Jr Rotem, myself, and Arthur McArthur are the main producers on it. It’s an insane situation, I just wanna be in the studio ya know, having Jr Rotem around and Zack Katz they’ve been giving me a lot of feedback a lot of guidance on my sound and where I should take the direction of a record. It’s just been a crazy learning experience with them as well.

Nodfactor: It’s really been a whirl wind of success for you. Your introduction to the industry has been kind of brief, things have happened really fast.

Aliby: Yea since March, that’s when I signed with my manager T. Slack of Bigger Picture Entertainment. I don’t even know where the time went, I look back now and think of when I signed with T. Slack my folder was at like 40-50 tops 60 beats now I’ve got a folder with 400 beats in it, it’s crazy.

Nodactor: So how did you meet T. Slack?

Aliby: I just met him on twitter. I saw him tweet something I worked on so I just hit him up like yo I produced that I’d love to get some music to you. So I sent him a package of like 40 beats and he hit me back like saying that the music was crazy and he wanted to sign me. He really believes in my craft and what I have to offer.

Nodfactor: Let’s talk about your sound. Beyond the usual names like Dre or Kanye who are some of the muscial acts that influence your style?

Aliby: I listen to everything. I always loved Motown, old soul music, Willie Hutch is like my favorite singer from that era. Nirvana was a big influence for me, that whole Seattle grunge scene is a big influence for the rock records that I do. I know you don’t wanna hear the top ones but Just Blaze, you listen to the records he did on the Blueprint, when that came out it was just a turning point for me and music. Even to this day when I sample there’s a bit of that kind of vibe, that energy in a fresh kind of new medium.

Nodfactor: Speaking of sampling there’s been a lot of controversy this year over the Haddaway sample Just used on Em’s “No Love” record. A lot of people criticized him for it, they argue that sampling should be done in the more traditional sense, say like RZA where you take an obscure sample and tune it to the point where no one can regonize it. I personally feel different I like when producers take a recognizeable sample and just freak it, so what are your thoughts or you have a preferred method?

Aliby: To me if you segregate and divide how your going to be creative, your not really being creative. There should be no boundaries. Sample how you want.

Nodfactor: You have your own company that you’re currently building, Aliby Music Entertainment, are you currently looking for any writers/artists/producers?

Aliby: Yea I’m always interested in new talent, networking with new producers. You can never have enough song writers, unless every song on the radio is yours you’re never going to have enough song writers.

Nodfactor: What would be the easiest way for people to get in touch with you?

Aliby: Just hit me up at alibymusic@gmail.com. Send beats, send songs, whatever, I’m always down to work. Also if you want to reach out you can hit me on twitter @alibeezay.

Nodfactor: What advice would you give to up coming producers?

Aliby: Work hard and never send out music that’s a maybe. Make sure before you press the send button that the quality isn’t 99%. For me in the past 6 months I had to change my mind frame, now everything has to be perfect before it goes. You gotta give it everything, go in. I barely sleep, I’m in the studio all day I’m in the studio all night if I’m not at mine I’m at another studio and if I’m not there I’m traveling to work with artists.

Nodfactor: Anything else you would like to add?

Aliby: The way the industry is if you really really want it you have to devote your entire life. I’m just lucky I have family and friends that understand that.